The meaning of PATTEN is a clog, sandal, or overshoe often with a wooden sole or metal device to elevate the foot and increase the wearer's height or aid in walking in mud.

These are shaped boards attached to the sole of a shoe, which extend sideways well beyond the shape of the foot, and therefore are a different sort of footwear from the patten discussed here.

PATTEN definition: any of various kinds of footwear, as a wooden shoe, a shoe with a wooden sole, a chopine, etc., to protect the feet from mud or wetness. See examples of patten used in a sentence.

Aug 27, 2018 · P attens are defined by Mary Lisa Gavenas in the The Fairchild Encyclopedia of Menswear (2008) as: “a sort of predecessor of platform shoes, worn from Middle Ages onward, …

There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun patten, three of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Jan 20, 2026 · Noun patten (plural pattens) Any of various types of footwear with thick soles, often used to elevate the foot, especially wooden clogs. [from 14th c.]

patten (ˈpætən) n (Clothing & Fashion) a wooden clog or sandal on a raised wooden platform or metal ring [C14: from Old French patin, probably from patte paw]

Definition of 'patten' patten in British English (ˈpætən ) noun a wooden clog or sandal on a raised wooden platform or metal ring

paten / patten are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences …

Patten definition: Any one of various types of wooden-soled footwear, such as a sandal, shoe, or clog, worn to increase one's height or to keep one's feet out of the mud.